Arrest branded war criminals before trial: Citizen's group
Saturday, 5 September 2009
A citizen's group campaigning to put alleged perpetrators of the 1971 war crimes on trial has asked the government to arrest some of the branded war criminals before formally commissioning the trial, reports bdnews24.com.
The group also asked the government to roll out a roadmap on the trial process of war criminals by September 30.
If the roadmap is not announced within that time they will join forces with social, cultural and political organisations to launch a movement.
President of the Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee Kabir Chowdhury said this at the first session of the emergency representatives' conference of the committee at the Supreme Court Bar auditorium in the city Friday.
"Arrest those immediately, who the countrymen know about, who had been directly involved or abetted in the killings, rapes and lootings", Prof Chowdhury said.
"Outside (the prison) they pose danger to the country, threat to the peace and stability", he said.
A nine-point draft proposal was placed at the conference that included publication of the list of war criminals.
Mohammad Golam Rabbani, Ajay Roy, Shahriar Kabir, Muntasir Mamun, Ferdousi Priyobhashini, Jeyad Al Malum, Shirin Banu Mitil, Syed Mahbubur Rashid, Salma Haque and Kazi Mukul were present in the conference.
"I hope I will be able to see the trial of war criminals in my lifetime", Rabbani said.
"The government is saying since April that the trial will start from the next day, next week but that next is yet to come", Shahriar Kabir, acting president of the committee, said.
"It is beyond me, why the work has not started after the Prime Minister said that the proposal was passed in Parliament. Then is the ministry defying the Prime Minister?"
"The government has no preparation against the propaganda of Jamaat-e-Islami. We offered our assistance but still the government is not interested.
"Now we are left with no other option than waging a movement", Kabir added.
Jamaat, the country's biggest religion-based political party, is accused by many of having opposed independence and complicity with the Pakistani army in killings, rapes and other atrocities.
Referring to AL and its rival BNP's ties with the war criminals, he said, "You have associated yourselves with the war criminals but we have not. We will have to see whether this ultimately proves to be stalling the trial."
He urged the leaders of the committee to arrange a convention in Dhaka after Eid, a congregation at the Central Shaheed Minar with renowned personalities and forming human chains in front of the parliament building to mount pressure on the government.
The proposal include allocation of the old High Court building instead of the proposed house on the Abdul Gani Road to set up the tribunal and appointment of skilled, honest and pro-independence people as tribunal judges, investigators and lawyers, regardless of their political identity.
The centre-left AL-led Grand Alliance government took the initiative to try the war criminals during the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan after assuming office in January.
But the Committee and the Sector Commanders Forum-an organisation of commanders of the nine-month bloody conflict-have been critical of the procrastination in the trial process.
The group also asked the government to roll out a roadmap on the trial process of war criminals by September 30.
If the roadmap is not announced within that time they will join forces with social, cultural and political organisations to launch a movement.
President of the Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee Kabir Chowdhury said this at the first session of the emergency representatives' conference of the committee at the Supreme Court Bar auditorium in the city Friday.
"Arrest those immediately, who the countrymen know about, who had been directly involved or abetted in the killings, rapes and lootings", Prof Chowdhury said.
"Outside (the prison) they pose danger to the country, threat to the peace and stability", he said.
A nine-point draft proposal was placed at the conference that included publication of the list of war criminals.
Mohammad Golam Rabbani, Ajay Roy, Shahriar Kabir, Muntasir Mamun, Ferdousi Priyobhashini, Jeyad Al Malum, Shirin Banu Mitil, Syed Mahbubur Rashid, Salma Haque and Kazi Mukul were present in the conference.
"I hope I will be able to see the trial of war criminals in my lifetime", Rabbani said.
"The government is saying since April that the trial will start from the next day, next week but that next is yet to come", Shahriar Kabir, acting president of the committee, said.
"It is beyond me, why the work has not started after the Prime Minister said that the proposal was passed in Parliament. Then is the ministry defying the Prime Minister?"
"The government has no preparation against the propaganda of Jamaat-e-Islami. We offered our assistance but still the government is not interested.
"Now we are left with no other option than waging a movement", Kabir added.
Jamaat, the country's biggest religion-based political party, is accused by many of having opposed independence and complicity with the Pakistani army in killings, rapes and other atrocities.
Referring to AL and its rival BNP's ties with the war criminals, he said, "You have associated yourselves with the war criminals but we have not. We will have to see whether this ultimately proves to be stalling the trial."
He urged the leaders of the committee to arrange a convention in Dhaka after Eid, a congregation at the Central Shaheed Minar with renowned personalities and forming human chains in front of the parliament building to mount pressure on the government.
The proposal include allocation of the old High Court building instead of the proposed house on the Abdul Gani Road to set up the tribunal and appointment of skilled, honest and pro-independence people as tribunal judges, investigators and lawyers, regardless of their political identity.
The centre-left AL-led Grand Alliance government took the initiative to try the war criminals during the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan after assuming office in January.
But the Committee and the Sector Commanders Forum-an organisation of commanders of the nine-month bloody conflict-have been critical of the procrastination in the trial process.